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Eragon
Eragon Bromsson, also known as Eragon Shadeslayer or Eragon Argetlam, was a male human, the first in a new generation of Dragon Riders. He was the son of former Dragon Rider, and founder of the Varden, Brom, and Selena, Morzan's Black Hand. He was trained by Brom and Oromis, and was chosen by Saphira, a blue dragon, as her Rider. Eragon grew up as an orphan, without any real knowledge of his parentage except his mother's name, Selena. the egg of the dragon Saphira and was destined to fight the forces of evil, headed by King Galbatorix. At the Battle of The Burning Plains, he met Murtagh, his one-time friend and ally, who turned out to be his half-brother and the son of the notorious Forsworn, Morzan. Despite the immense age gap that separated them, Eragon was enamored of the elf princess Arya. The romantic tension between them was a focal point throughout many of his adventures, though Arya, for the most part, rejected his advances. History Early Life For the first fifteen years of his life, Eragon lived on a farm in the small village of Carvahall. His mother, Selena, had come to Carvahall four months pregnant, then left him there when she gave birth. Selena left him in the care of her brother, Garrow, and Garrow's wife, Marian. She told no one who his father was. Marian told Eragon shortly before she died that she and Garrow were not his real parents. Brom often told him stories of the Dragon Riders from the past, and of how King Galbatorix came into power. If the Empire knew that Brom recited the story, they would have "silenced" him. Finding Saphira's egg ) finds Saphira's egg.]] Eragon went on many hunts, and in the first chapter, his target, a small deer, led him into the Spine, an untamed range of mountains near Carvahall which most others feared. Eragon did not fear it, however, and was the only hunter near Carvhall who dared enter it. When he was about to shoot the deer, an explosion shattered the silence and sent the deer bolting. Eragon attempted to run after the fleeing deer, but he turned back to see that where the explosion of light had been, there was now a cold blue stone. Cautiously, he picked it up and decided that he would be able to sell it for food. After two days, he reached Carvahall and attempted to sell it to a butcher named Sloan, who at first thought he had come to buy meat. Sloan was interested in the stone, but because Eragon did not know how much it was worth, he told him he would only give him three crowns for it unless if he could find its value from a trader. Though it was a miser's bargain—Eragon thought it to be ten times that—the traders only came to Carvahall in spring and winter, and so he accepted the butcher's offer. However, after learning where the stone came from, Sloan was furious and said that he would not deal with anything that came from the Spine. The two came close to blows. A smith named Horst, hearing the hubbub, entered and asked Sloan what he had done now. The butcher claimed that Eragon had come in and starting pestering him and would not leave when asked, but after hearing the true story from Eragon, Horst dealt with Sloan himself and bought food for Eragon with his own money. Eragon thanked Horst and said he would work for him in the spring. He returned to his uncle's farm and showed the blue stone to Garrow. His uncle explained why Sloan had been so angry: his wife, Ismira, had went over the Igualda Falls, which was located in the Spine, the year before Eragon was born. Traders Nine days after Eragon's return, a vicious blizzard settled over the valley. Eragon became worried that the traders would not come. Eight days later, his cousin Roran said that the traders had still not arrived. Desparate, Eragon searched for the traders himself and found foot prints on the road, which confirmed the traders' arrival. Eragon, Roran, and Garrow arrived in Carvahall the next day, where the drays had gathered, and showed the stone to a trader named Merlock. After he examined it, he, like Eragon, said that he did not know its value, and that whoever had shaped it had used tools he had never seen before—or magic. Eragon and Garrow were also shocked to hear that it was hollow. Again, Eragon asked what its worth was. Merlock was unable to say, but he knew others outside of Carvahall would pay much for it. Additionally, he told them of news of the Urgals passing through populated areas. Whole villages had been forced to move because Urgals had destroyed their fields. Worst of all, there were reports of the apperance of a Shade. Later, at the Seven Sheaves, two traders who speaking about the "good" of the Empire. Others started to agree, but the two traders had no answer when Eragon asked them for proof, except that it was "common sense". This started an uproar in the tavern. The egg hatches Eragon kept the "stone" for himself, and was shocked when it hatched a female dragon. He touched her with his palm, leaving him with the gedwëy ignasia, the mark of a Dragon Rider. Because any reminders of the era of the Dragon Riders were outlawed in the The Empire|Empire, Eragon raised the dragon in secret, torn between his delight with his new companion and his fear of what might happen should the Empire discover what had occurred. He eventually resolved to keep her, and built a home for her high in the branches of a tree. After consulting with Brom, the village story-teller, as to a good name for a dragon (without telling him of his dragon), he named her Saphira. For a while, he managed to keep her hidden, but when Saphira and her appetite continued to grow, he realized he would not be able to keep her existence a secret much longer. Things were going fine until two menacing, hooded beings of immense power, the Ra'zac, came to Carvahall, searching for the dragon egg. Sometime after being warned about the strangers, Brom saved Eragon from them, but also (unknown to Eragon at the time) comfirming that Eragon was indeed a Rider, after twisting Eragon's wrist up, revealing the gedwëy ignasia. Saphira, now able to mentally communicate her thoughts, forced Eragon to flee with her, while the Ra'zac destroyed Eragon's farm, and tortured Garrow, who died a short while after. When Eragon first rode on Saphira, he suffered terrible wounds from her scales, which scraped his legs so badly that it ripped open the skin, making him bleed horribly. Dragon Rider Quest for Vengeance giving Eragon a sword in the movie.]] Eragon, Saphira, and the cryptic story-teller Brom resolved to hunt down the Ra'zac and avenge Garrow. As they travelled, Brom taught Eragon swordsmanship and more about the history of the Dragon Riders. To his surprise, Eragon learned that he was named after the very first Dragon Rider, Eragon I. While traveling around Utgard towards Yazuac, Brom used magic to light a fire, making it seem like a curse. When he later tried to defend himself and Brom, from an Urgal ambush in Yazuac, he discovered that he was able to use magic. Questioning Brom about it, he learned that all Dragon Riders possessed magical abilities, and Brom subsequently took it upon himself to instruct Eragon in the proper use of the talent. After a while, they lost the Ra'zac's trail, but were able to track the Seithr oil, the substance used by the Ra'zac to kill Garrow, to the port city of Teirm. With the assistance of Brom's close friend Jeod, they used the annals in the city's record room to discover that the Ra'zac were located in Helgrind. During there stay in Teirm, Eragon learned to read and write - abilities which Garrow had considered unnecessary - and also to scry. He eavesdropped on a conversation between Brom and Jeod via magic. To his surprise, he learned that both men were members of the Varden, a rebel group that opposed the rule of King Galbatorix. .]] He visited a shop owned by Angela, a herbalist and witch. He met an intelligent and cryptic werecat named Solembum with her. She told his fortune, revealing that he would have a long lifespan, that the great powers of the land would struggle to control him, that he would fall in love with a lady of noble birth, that he would leave Alagaësia forever, and that he would face betrayal from within his own family. Afterwards, Solembum told him in cryptic words that, when he was in need of a weapon, to look under the roots of the Menoa Tree; and to speak his name at the Rock of Kuthian and open the Vault of Souls when his power was insufficient. On the way to Helgrind, Eragon saw a beautiful maiden in a dream. She was in a prison. She continued appearing in his dreams for some time. Outside of Helgrind, Eragon and his companions were ambushed by the Ra'zac. They were rescued by a mysterious man named Murtagh, but not before Brom was fatally wounded by a Ra'zac dagger. Brom died shortly afterwards, after revealing to Eragon that he had once been a Dragon Rider, and that his dead dragon was also named Saphira. Brom was laid to rest, and Saphira used magic to turn his tomb to diamond. Eragon and Saphira resolved to travel with Murtagh in search of the hidden Varden. They set out for Gil'ead, hoping to find a contact who can lead them to the Varden. At Gil'ead, Urgals under the command of Durza captured Eragon and imprisoned him in the same prison where the maiden, an elf, was being held. Murtagh and Saphira staged a daring rescue but found Eragon had already escaped his cell. Eragon, Saphira, and Murtagh were confronted by Durza. The struggle ended when Murtagh shot Durza with an arrow to the head, causing the Shade to be temporarily disembodied. Eragon insisted on rescuing the elf, as well. She remained unconscious throughout their journey to the Beor Mountains. After reaching the Beor Mountains he grew worried, and reached out mentally to her and was able to converse with her. She revealed to him that her name was Arya, and gave him the location of the Varden. She told him that they must reach the Varden if she was to survive, for she had been poisoned in prison, and would die within three days if she wasn't cured. Journey to the Varden , Eragon's blue dragon.]] Eragon, Saphira, Murtagh, and Arya crossed the Hadarac Desert, racing to reach Farthen Dûr, the Dwarven mountains that housed the Varden, in time to save Arya. Along the way, they were pursued by a small army of elite Urgals, the Kull. Before they reached Farthen Dûr, Murtagh, who had been reluctant to go to the Varden all along, revealed that he was the son of Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn. The Kull forced the group to flee the place where they were resting, and hidden doors in the side of Farthen Dûr opened to allow the group in. Ajihad, leader of the Varden, imprisoned Murtagh when Ajihad learned of Murtagh's heritage. Arya was treated for her injuries; Eragon and Saphira were welcomed to Tronjheim, the dwarven capital. Eragon was introduced to Hrothgar, the King of the Dwarves. He also met up again with Angela and Solembum. Ajihad wished to send Eragon to Ellesméra to complete his training; therefore, two magicians known as the Twins assessed his magic abilities. The Twins were cruel to Eragon, and attempted to use him to further their knowledge of the Ancient Language. A fully-healed Arya intervened, however, and took the task of assessing Eragon upon herself, sparring with him. Eragon, although being soundly defeated, passed the test in Arya's eyes. The Varden respected and even revered Eragon. Soon after he arrived in Tronjheim, he was approached by an elderly woman and an orphaned child, Elva, who was the woman's charge. The woman asked Eragon's blessing upon Elva, which he gave readily, using the Ancient Language. Saphira gave the child her own special gift: a silver star, similar to Eragon's gedwey ignasia, on her forehead. Saphira told Eragon that the child would have a significant future. Not long after, war became imminent. Ajihad informed Saphira and Eragon of an impending threat: an intercepted message revealed that a legion of Urgals and Kull were marching steadily towards the Varden through the tunnels under the mountain range. In the battle that followed, a seemingly endless tide of Urgals seemed poised to take the fortress. Within Tronjheim, Eragon was confronted once again by the menacing Shade, Durza. Eragon was greatly outmatched by the Shade, but, thanks to a sudden distraction from Saphira and Arya, Durza's attention was diverted long enough for Eragon to stab him through the heart. Eragon paid a terrible price for his deed: he was wounded on the back, and the scar would trouble him greatly over the course of the next few months. Following Durza's demise, the controlling link the Shade held on the Urgal's minds snapped, causing the remainder of them to flee and fight among each other. Eragon fainted and was tended to by healers. He was watched over by the mental presence of the Mourning Sage/The Cripple Who Is Whole, who urged him to follow Arya to Ellesméra, the capital of the elves to finish his training. Rider War North to Ellesméra Eragon decided to accept the advice of the Mourning Sage, and, accompanied by Orik, Saphira, and Arya, traveled northward through eastern Alagaësia to Ellesméra. Before they set off Orik had a gift from the king. He said that the king offered to adopt Eragon into his own clan, Dûrgrimst Ingeitum. Eragon accepted, and Orik helped him complete the ritual to make him a true member of the clan. This was the first time in history that a human joined a dwarf family. Upon arrival at Ellesmera, Eragon met with Islanzadí, the elven queen, and the enigmatic raven Blagden, who spouted riddles concerning Eragon's past and future. Eragon was surprised to learn that Arya was Islanzadí's daughter, and therefore heir to the elven throne. The Training of a Rider , in the the movie via the ancient language.]] Eragon's training began the following day. His instructor was an ancient Elvish Rider named Oromis, who had managed to prolong his life by means of countless tiny spells binding his weak body. Oromis had a gold dragon named Glaedr. Eragon's exercises with Oromis were frustrating at first, but gradually Eragon learned what it meant to be a true Rider, guided by principles and making responsible choices, and came to understand that his "training" was an ongoing process that would last his entire life. He learned other things, as well, such as history, art, and politics. His knowledge of magic and the Ancient Language expanded tremendously. To his horror, however, he learned from Oromis that he had cursed Elva instead of blessing her due to a mistake in his wording (having accidentally said "may you be a shield from misfortune", thus dooming her to constantly suffer from the hurts of others). He resolved to revoke the curse, although such a feat would require tremendous magical ability. Eragon's training also honed his fighting skills. He developed an intense rivalry with an elf named Vanir, and their mutual dislike came to a head during their sparring sessions. Eragon was defeated multiple times, often suffering bouts of pain from the scar on his back. Whilst his skills in magic and fighting increased, he also discovered a new found respect for all kinds of life becoming a vegetarian like the elves. Tutored by Oromis, Eragon composed a poem to present at the Blood-Oath Celebration, a traditional Elvish ceremony commemorating the pact between the Elves and the Dragons. During the festivities, as a magical gift from the dragon race, Eragon was finally healed of his wound, and was physically transformed, acquiring the features and abilities of an elf. Only after this transformation was he able to beat Vanir, breaking the elf's arm. The two made amends. After this transformation, Eragon was able to cast much more powerful magic. His vision, strength and speed all greatly increased and he was now as fit as the fittest elf in Alagaësia. The Burning Plains Upon scrying Nasuada he found that Galbatorix was mustering his army in order to attack the Varden in Surda. Eragon and Orik departed from Ellesméra and flew south on Saphira. They joined up with the combined forces of Surda and the Varden on The Burning Plains. The Empire was over 100,000 strong, greatly outnumbering the Varden. From the start of the battle, the Empire pushed the Varden back. Thankfully, the dwarves appeared not far into the battle, turning the tide for the Varden. Unexpectedly, another Rider appeared, mounted on a red dragon. Wearied by the battle, Eragon was easily outmatched and driven onto the ground with Saphira. He and his opponent then faced off with swords. Near the end of their duel, Eragon recognized the other Rider's manner of fighting. Eragon managed to pull off his opponent's helm, revealing Murtagh, who had been thought dead. Murtagh revealed that he had been taken to Urû'baen by the Twins, and, when the red Dragon, Thorn, had hatched for him, he had been forced to swear allegiance to Galbatorix in the Ancient Language. He also revealed that Galbatorix knew his true name, so was able to control him. His orders from Galbatorix were to try to capture Eragon and Saphira because she was the last female dragon in existence. Galbatorix needed her to fulfill his goal of rebuilding the order of the Riders. Murtagh decided to have mercy on them because of his and Eragons past, but he claimed Zar'roc as his own, and revealed another terrible truth: Eragon was Morzan's son and Murtaghs younger brother. Haunted by this turn of events, Eragon imparted his newfound knowledge to Roran, Nasuada, and Arya. He then agreed to aid Roran in rescuing Katrina from the clutches of the Ra'zac. Helgrind Eragon and Roran fought and killed one of the Ra'zac while Saphira ripped the Lethrblaka to pieces. As Roran rescued Katrina, Eragon discovered Sloan in a nearby cell. Unable to kill him, Eragon stayed behind to rescue him and kill the last Ra'zac. Back to Tronjeim Eragon was sent to Tronjeim by Nasuada to make sure that a new king was chosen who was willing to help the Varden. While he was there he found out that Az Sweldn Rak Anhuin (A clan called The Tears of Anhuin who had suffered greatly from Galbatorix and The Forsworn) still hated him. Things came to a head and an assassination was attempted. After it was proved that Az Sweldn Rak Anhuin, they were disbanded. Orik was crowned king and readied his warriors to march. Quest for A Blade Eragon went to Ellesmera to complete his training. While there, he found the material to make a sword under the Menoa tree. Rhunon made a sword for him which Eragon named Brisingr the sword. The weapon's blade burst into flames every time he said its name. Eragon learned from Oromis that Morzan was not his father, and that his father was none other then Brom. Oromis then told Eragon the source of the Galbatorix's immense power. The Heart of Hearts, an object each dragon had inside of them, could hold a dragon's soul after it died. Galbatorix stole or captured all of the heart of hearts he could find. Before Oromis and Glaedr left for Gil'ead, Glaedr decided to gave his heart of hearts to Eragon. Battle of Feinster Eragon and Saphira arrived just in time to help Arya open the gates and storm the keep. Getting inside they found three spellcasters trying to create a Shade. They hacked through the magicians wards but were to late, the man they were calling the spirits into became a Shade. However with a distraction from Eragon, Arya thrust her sword into his heart, killing him. Through Glaedr's heart of hearts they were able to see the death of their mentors. Both Eragon and Saphira mourned for their loss and vowed to keep Glaedr's heart of hearts safe. Appearance Eragon was a human, originally with intense brown eyes, dark thick eyebrows and brown hair. After being influenced by elvish magic at the Blood-Oath Celebration he attended in Ellesméra, however, he much more closely resembled an elf; his face became more angular, pale, and smooth, his eyes became slanted, and his ears became pointed. All blemishes on his body were healed. He did retain some human qualities, including thicker cheek bones and the need to shave. He also becomes as fit as the fittest elf in Ellesméra. Eragon, being human originally, during the Blood-Oath Celebration Eragon had been given a great gift from the dragons, he was given the physical and mental attributes of an elf, and he was relieved of his curse placed upon him by the shade Durza. Abilities Eragon has many precarious abilities that he refines over the series. The first and foremost of his abilities is his skill with a blade. Eragon is strong enough to defeat anyone but the elves in swordsmanship. After The Blood Oath Celebration, Eragon gained the elves strength and speed making him more than a match for the fittest and most athletic elf.The second most important would be his skill with magic. Eragon knows twelve ways to kill that do not require more energy than lifting a ink laden pen. He also has a gift with the word Brisingr ( The Ancient word for Fire) which allows him to do many things with Brisingr alone. Love interest There are three likely choices for Eragon's love: *Arya: Arya is a highly likely candidate as Eragon's romantic interest. He has shown extreme affection for her previously, despite being rejected, and most of Arya's arguments against this occurring (Age, training, etc.) have been voided due to his becoming elf-like and passing his training. Saphira's acceptance of Arya also lends credence to this. Also, even Arya seems to have feelings for Eragon as she holds hands with him and heals his hand when he is quite capable of healing it himself. He even holds her close to him once. *Nasuada: Nasuada is less likely to capture Eragon's affections, not only because there has been no evidence of any interest from her besides a few subtle comments and gestures, but because of Eragon's immortality and reluctance to take a human mate. This does not discount the possibility however. *Trianna: When Trianna came to Eragon after the Battle of Farthen Dûr to offer him the position of leader in Du Vrangr Gata, she showed him her familiar (a snake). Eragon was apparently hypnotised by the snake and invited her to come to the kitchen with him. This meeting was then interupted by Saphira, who made it clear that she would not allow Eragon to be romantically involved with Trianna. It is unlikely they will end up together due to Saphira's dislike and the fact that she seemed upset over Eragon taking leadership of Du Vrangr Gata. Real-world connections Comparisons ''Star Wars Eragon is similar in many respects to Luke Skywalker: His family is killed, leaving him with no where to go but with a mentor. He is given the responsibility of continuing the legacy of an ancient order (in Eragon's case, the Dragon Riders; in Luke's, the Jedi), and becomes the first of a new generation of that order. Also, he is given his father's sword by his first trainer, but loses it at the end of the 2nd part. The only big differences are the swords and the identity of the protagonists father; Eragon's sword was red while Luke's was blue, though Luke got a green one in the 3rd part and Eragon gets a blue one; and in starwars, lukes father is also the main antagonist, while in inheritance, Eragon's father is his tutor, (Brom). He is trained by older members of the order (Brom) and Oromis, compared to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda). Eragon also has a sibling he does not know (Murtagh, in ''Star Wars, Luke's sister was Princess Leia) that he does not know about until later in his life. ''The Dragonbone Chair Eragon Shadeslayer has been compared to Seoman Snowlock from Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. The most noteworthy similarity comes from the endings of The Dragonbone Chair (Book I) and Eragon (Book I). Both slay a great evil; both are affected with its blood/memories and are almost consumed by evil; both have a series of visions during their brief lapse of sanity; both receive help from their respective wise old mentors (Morgenes and the Mysterious Cripple Who Is Whole); both wake up surrounded by friends when the battle is over, to have them explain what has happened the last two days; both have disfiguring scars from their encounter (Eragon's back, Seoman's face); both are given last names that are two words put together (Seoman Snowlock and Eragon Shadeslayer); both have paid a terrible price for their deed. Real life Author Christopher Paolini states that Eragon originally started out as an autobiographical character. Paolini started writing ''Eragon at the age of fifteen, which is his protagonist's age at the beginning of the novel. "When I first invented Eragon, he was me. Writing about yourself is probably one of the easiest things for a fifteen-year-old author to do. However, I found that as the story progressed and Eragon did things that I've never done—such as fighting monsters and flying a dragon—he evolved into his own character, which I'm very happy about."http://shurtugal.com/?id=trilogy/christopher/qanda#writing Other *Eragon was portrayed by Edward Speleers in the Eragon film. *Eragon appears with blonde hair in the film, which compares him too much to Luke Skywalker, while he's described having brown hair in the novel. Etymology Christopher Paolini has stated that he came up with the name Eragon by replacing the d'' in 'dragon' with an ''E;http://alagaesia.com/talktrilogy.html However, some have speculated that he instead replaced the A'' in 'Aragorn' with an ''E and removed the last r''. There is also a character named '''Erragon' in the Anne McCaffery book Skies of Pern, who is a Journeyman/Master Starman. Several people have said that he plagerized directly off of Anne McCaffery's books. Eragon also bears much resemblance to the character Luke Skywalker of the Star Wars saga. Appearances *''Eragon'' *''Eldest'' *''Brisingr'' See also *Eragon's possessions Notes and references External links *Alagaesia.com, the official site for the Inheritance cycle *Eragon on Wikipedia *Eragonmovie.com, the official site of the Eragon movie Category:Characters Category:Magic users Category:Humans Category:Dragon Riders Category:Varden Category:Males es:Eragon (personaje) nl:Eragon Schimmendoder